Turn Back Time
by LeonaFaith
Summary: When she had struck a deal with the angels guarding the gates of heaven she didn't actually realise what she was getting herself into. Her life wasn't terrible, so why, did she agree to send her soul back to her sophomore year? Simple…she was curious. And yes, curiosity did kill the cat. AU, time-travel. R&R
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is my first ever fanfiction so reviews would be very appreciated. Currently no beta so apologies for any mistakes and any feedback on my general idea would be very helpful too. I am from the UK so if I get anything American wrong please tell me so I can change it.

I normally read this kind of thing in Harry Potter fanfics and wanted to see if it translates well. Give it a few chapters before judging to harshly but if it's really not worth it please tell me. I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 1

When she had struck a deal with the angels guarding the gates of heaven she didn't actually realise what she was getting herself into. When written on paper, going back in time armed with the knowledge of the future sounded like the perfect opportunity to come out on top of the Circle of Cavan and get in a pre-emptive strike on Catherine Goode but now that she was here, sitting on a window seat overlooking the perfectly manicured lawn of her home, the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women (AKA spy school for girls), she couldn't help but wonder why exactly she had wanted this. Her life wasn't terrible, there was only that one blemish before her senior year and also at the end of senior year but everything turned out for the best. So, why did she agree to send her soul back to her sophomore year? Simple…she was curious. And yes, curiosity did kill the cat. 

* * *

When she had first awoken in her fifteen-year-old body Cameron "The Chameleon" Morgan was ecstatic: she was in the past, before everything happened and she could change anything she wanted! After a few days on her grandparents' ranch in Nebraska she realised that she needed to calm down, after all she was never this excited while with her grandparents before and, even though she loved them, she was bound to arouse suspicion if she continued as she was. Besides, it wasn't as if she could actually tell the truth if someone asked her about her change in attitude or her advanced knowledge, no one would believe her if she claimed that she had died and decided to re do her last three years at school – just for fun. Hell she sounded crazy even to her own ears, let alone anyone else's.

It was the day before she arrived back at Gallagher to spend time with her mom that she recognised that she would need a general plan for the next three years of her life. She didn't want to get anyone killed on her re-do or get herself locked up in a psychiatric facility for claiming to know the future and so with a new notebook and pen she sat down to write down two lists: one with the events of her past and the other how she would change them to make a new future. It was a good thing then that she had chosen to come back to the beginning of her sophomore year then, seeing as she was more than content to ignore Josh, she had a whole semester to integrate a Brand-New-Cammie into her life with her best friends and her mom before the Blackthorn boys arrived.

In fact, just thinking about her next semester sent a shiver down her spine. FINALLY, she could one up Zack and Soloman and the rest of the male species, not to mention she could get in some really good pranks! For some reason, fooling and keeping secrets from those who had kept secrets from her for so long had appealed to her! The only negative of the whole experience would be seeing and interacting with Dr Steve without killing him on the spot. Even though there was no doubt in Cammie's mind that she could murder him without a single ounce of guilt, she didn't want to put her acting skills to the test when trying to keep the smiles of her face at having gotten rid of the creep herself. All she had to do was remember: he hasn't done anything to you…yet.

And so with her plans and schemes in mind, Cammie is here once again, in her favourite window seat overlooking the front lawn and watching all manner of girls wrestle their belongings into their home for the next year out of their suave black limo's. She keeps an eye out for any of her friends while thinking over her last couple of weeks of exploring the castle while her mom stayed in her office to do the required administrative tasks when trying to recruit Joe Soloman onto the teaching staff. Being back at Gallagher was like coming home after a long trip abroad. It was familiarity and it was comfort. Cammie distinctly remembers her last summer before sophomore year and how she spent her time moping about lost time with her mother and how they never went anywhere abroad but now, looking at it with an adult's perspective she couldn't imagine spending her time any other way then re-familiarising herself with the ancient halls of her true home.

It was then that a loud shriek startled her from her memories and as she was engulfed in a hug by her very sunburnt best friend Liz, Cammie couldn't help but think that this time, life would be much more fun!

A/N: So that's it for Chapter 1, I have a few chapters written but I'm just fact checking right now so updates may be slow but there will definitely be a new chapter next week; Leave a review! :)


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here's the next chappie. things are still going a little slow but I have a few fun things planned for Macey's entrance and Cammie's first coveops assignment! Make sure to leave a review, I know I'm not perfect so your help is much appreciated.**

 **Also I forgot to put a disclaimer on the last chapter so just pretend I did.**

 **HELP: what was the importance of Joe's journal that they stole from the tombs? If anyone could pm me with the answer that would be great, otherwise you aren't getting anymore chapters. Please help...**

 **DISCLAIMER: Everything except the time travel is Ally Carter's**

 **Chapter 2  
**  
The large dining hall was a deafening cacophony of voices retelling summer stories and catching up with friends. The staff table at the very end of the hall was on a raised platform and was, currently, empty. Cammie was sitting across from Liz with a spare seat next to her for Bex, the other member of their quartet. _Not that we will be a quartet for a while…Macey doesn't even go here yet._ The rest of the sophomore year is surrounding them and while she pretends to be slightly worried for her British friend being missing she manages to keep Liz calm and hear about the other girls' summers. Without being held back by insecurities, Cammie was actually able to listen to her sisters without having to worry about having a summer story to return for herself. Although it is ironic that the one summer the most insane thing happens to her is also the one summer she cannot speak about! With her new adult mentality Cammie finds it much less embarrassing telling her friends that she stayed with her grandparents in Nebraska. Funnily enough this only serves to make her classmates disinterested in her and help her retain her chameleon status, which is why she had lied the first time around in the first place. When Anna Fetterman comes to ask her about the CoveOps teacher she replies in the way she did last time, it was unimportant in the grand scheme of things although her inner nonchalance probably also has to do with the fact that she knew who the new teacher was and was planning on passing his classes with flying colours (with the help of her memories).

It is as she is musing this that the doors at the back of the hall open with a flourish and the staff members all enter in a single file line. All the usual suspects are present, looking the same as ever except for the usual one- Mr. Smith. As the last teacher settles into their chair and the students see the one chair which is missing its teacher, Cammie's mom, Headmistress Rachel Morgan, takes her place at the podium and begins her speech.

The rest of the evening goes according to plan and when Bex and Mr Solomon arrive, that is when Cammie starts to deviate from the original timeline.

Instead of pestering Bex for details for the new 'hottie' (Cammie absolutely refuses to acknowledge her Step-Dad as a 'hottie') she instead turns to watch her mom and Joe talk in whispers at the head table until they both simultaneously look in her direction. If she was an actual fifteen-year-old, Cammie would have thought that their spy senses were tingling and she had been caught in the act of eavesdropping, however as a fully trained spy she noticed the twin looks of surprise - the slight widening of their eyes - before they both tried to play it cool by cocking their eyebrows and giving her silent, penetrating looks, perhaps to make it look like they originally had caught her in the act. Instead of turning away, a slight crinkle appeared in Cammie's forehead. _They had been talking about me… I wonder what they were saying_ , she thought before ceasing her staring contest with her legendary mom and resuming her dinner.

That night as Cammie closes her eyes to fall asleep she thinks about her past; her last two years at Gallagher were the hardest and craziest and before she drifted off  
she thought to herself _, this year I need to get my sisters ready,_ I _need to be ready_. The Circle of Cavan won't know what hit them.

* * *

The next morning after performing her morning ablutions, putting on a clean uniform with the bare minimum of makeup (mascara and her favoured cherry lip-gloss), Cammie grabs her bag and heads down to breakfast sans her two best friends who, along with the rest of the sophomore year where still dressing themselves up for their new CoveOps teacher. _Deciding to eat like a queen this time around was a very good idea_ , Cammie thought as she grabs her food and sits by the juniors. Chatter at the table immediately stops as the others look at her in a way that made her think there was a massive pimple in the middle of her forehead, which, trust me, is not good for a girl's self-esteem.

Taking the initiative, Cammie answers the unasked question.  
"Everyone else in my year is skipping breakfast in favour of looking nice for the newest member of the faculty" She explained with a slight wince, _I hope they don't kick me out, that would be really awkward._

Fortunately, the others at the table all nodded and accepted her explanation as well as making room for her in their conversations. Surprisingly the conversation was quite nice and as Cammie left for her first class of the day she wondered why she had never thought to talk with the other years before. If she had she would have known that Dr Fibs had recently developed holographic, radio-synthesized photo paper during the summer and she wouldn't have had to act so surprised for her mother during the code red. If there was one thing she would definitely change this time, it would be making sure her mother does not get another chance to show her up; gone are the days of the ignorant chameleon.

Time seemed to drag by as everyone seemed to be waiting for third period when CoveOps was scheduled, even more so for Cammie as she had learned all of the material before, but finally after culture and assimilation the bell rang for the next lesson and it seemed as if a whole horde of girls had rushed out of the classroom in a desperate attempt to get to the sublevels first. Cammie would have joined them were it not for the fact that Solomon would be late for class anyway, so instead she tried breathing techniques to calm herself down and get her head in gear and go over her legend. Cameron Ann Morgan: a pavement artist who is mediocre at best. What she wouldn't admit to herself however was that she was also trying to keep her expectations low. This Joe Solomon didn't know her yet; he wouldn't understand her properly for years. She let out a little sigh at that. Even though being back was beyond surreal and exciting it was also a little maddening. The night before in the dorms she felt like she was putting on a face for her friends. For the first time in a long time she felt like she had no one. But one thing she couldn't ignore was that this time, she was alive.

 _Flashback_

 _"Wait, so I'm really dead?" Cammie whispered at the familiar faced angel in front of her._

 _"Yes" he replied, keeping his face serene but his eyes echoing the pain the simple fact caused him._

 _"But you said I can go back though?"  
_ _  
"Yes"_

 _"Won't Zack, Mom and Joe be suspicious if I just rise from the dead, I mean I died right in front of them?" she asked, her eyes unfocused in confusion._

 _"You won't be able to go back to that time Cammie. You can never have that life back, but you can make a new one if you so wish." The angel said, his voice just as tender and love-filled as the chameleon remembered._

 _As her heart wept for the loss of her life, her eyes hardened with a resolve to make a new life for herself, a better life which she can live in and not just survive._

 _"I'll do it"_

 _End Flashback_

Continuing with her breathing techniques, now to stop the onslaught of tears, Cammie remembered her promise to herself. _This time, I will live._

Although while she was trying to keep her nerves from showing it seemed as if she was living her persona a little too well as Bex managed to overhear her forced breathing

"Breathing techniques Cammie, what, do you think he's going to try and kill you?" she asks with a hint of teasing in her tone.

 _Damn_ , Cammie thought, _I should not be getting caught out by a fifteen-year-old._

"I know that Bex I'm just nervous." She replies but seeing as this only gets her to raise a plucked eyebrow in scepticism she quickly adds "I just want to do well; you know?" with a hint of vulnerability showing on her face.

Seeing the sign of weakness, Bex quickly tries to reassure Cammie and drops the subject and although on one hand Cammie is glad she managed to avoid a mishap she was also a little sickened by her underhanded manipulation of her best friend. In the end she would just have to get over it. She was a spy and that is what spies do.

 **A/N: Give me suggestions of things you'd like to see. I want this to be more fun than serious anyway and the crew from Heist Society may or may not make an appearance...shhhh, you didn't hear it from me! (although I haven't completely decided on it yet, let me know if you want to see it)**

 **I will also be putting chapters from other people's perspective to make them less flat, well that's the idea anyway.**

 **Now to reply to reviews:**

 **GallagherGirls13BYE : Thank you sooo much for your review, you have no idea how much it made me smile! And also can I just say that we are on the same brain wave right now! I absolutely love the idea of Cammie KNOWING which is why I decided to write this in the first place. It is also why I am being deliberately slow with the updates because if this doesn't turn out right, it will be terrible, and because I am currently trying to speed read the last four books and making a list of things Cammie needs to get done AND when she could possibly get them done. Also, I have very specific plans for Dr Steve so don't worry about him...*evil smirk*. Additionally, whoever said Cammie will make it easy for Zachary? *even bigger evil smirk with villainous laughter*. Please review again and let me know what you think of this chappie, was it too angst or not enough? I want this to be fun but also somewhat realistic.**

 **Leave a review! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you to those who reviewed! It is always worth hearing that writing this story is worth it! I would also like to hear about ideas that you would like to see in my story! So whether it be certain lines you want a character to say or a certain prank you want Cammie to play on someone; I am all ears!**

 *****I also have a question for you guys: Currently I am not planning on Cammie telling anyone that she is from the future. Does anyone want me to change it? Is there someone who you want to know about Cammie's time-travelling stint? Let me know your thoughts.*****

 **DISCLAIMER: I don't own the Gallagher Girls series or characters or plot. Everything that is underlined came straight from the book: NOT MINE**

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

Everyone was waiting in their seats, wondering whether their new teacher was going to make a show for their class that day. The silence was awkward and strained with the girls desperately wanting to vocalise their thoughts but not wanting to go against their spy training. In the end the oppressive silence won, and so there was no noise. Oh, but that would be in a perfect world, unfortunately Tina Walters was in the class and for her, gossip was sometimes far more important. After her first question the floodgates were opened and Cammie was inundated with questions. The girl in question however only looked at the door, waiting for her teacher to show up. They were never told the answer to Solomon's questions so she would need to pay attention if she was going to impress him.

And soon enough, Joe Solomon, CIA agent, strolled into the room shouting out questions in a variety of languages, but Cammie just watches him. Eventually the time comes and with one last once-ever, Cammie does what her teacher asks.

"Close your eyes" he says in Arabic. The class complies.

"What colour are my shoes?" Just like last time everyone is silent, but unlike last time, Cammie is not one of them.

"Brown" she speaks.

There is silence for a whole 7.42 seconds (Everyone counted) until Solomon told the girls to open their eyes again. He then looked straight at Cammie, as if searching the very depths of her soul. He then carries on with his next question, although this time, he addresses Cammie only.

"Am I right-handed or left-handed, Miss Morgan?"

"You opened the door with your left but have more callouses on your right, so I imagine you are right-handed" She replies, barely a whisper of a second after he finished talking.

The girls, spies in training or not, break out in hushed whispers, some staring at Cammie like she had suddenly become an alien and some trying to look at Solomon's hands to verify her claims. Solomon's face remains impassive but his eyes burn with a peculiar intensity which Cammie swore was pride.

"Last question, Miss Morgan, since I walked into this room I have left fingerprints in five different places. Name them!"

This time Cammie takes a little more time and allows her brows to furrow slightly, her eyes darting around the room. _I can't let him catch onto me too much,_ she thought.

"The door, Courtney's desk, your desk, the bookcase on the right of the door and…and…" _hang on a second…that can't be right…_ " I…I don't know…" She finishes in the quietest of whispers, looking slightly ashamed for not noticing the last fingerprint; and she didn't, she really didn't. she had tracked his every step from when he walked into the room until he started asking his questions but she couldn't find the last print. While still looking into Solomon's vacant eyes Cammie suddenly had the urge to duck behind her desk and disappear, she was the chameleon for goodness' sake! She wasn't supposed to be drawing this much attention! The familiar feeling of getting caught started building in her gut, the hook which pulls at her insides, twisting, stretching and mangling her stomach before moving onto her throat until she feels as if the sweet, sweet oxygen will never pass through her trachea ever again and-

"Well done Miss Morgan. That was almost every question right but you should know I also touched my pen." Mr Solomon said in the plainest of voices before sliding his eyes to the others in the room, all temporarily forgotten in the midst of his impromptu staring contest with the one and only 'Chameleon'.

"The rest of you…you may be pretty smart, but you're also kind of stupid"

And so he continued with the rest of the sophomore year feeling like they had been slapped and Cammie, internally, was full of self-deprecating thoughts. _How do you expect to defeat Catherine Goode and the Circle of Cavan if you can't even complete a classroom exercise? Dammit, I need to be ready for the summer! Get your shit together Cammie! Well at least I got the other questions right…I can't be too out of practice, but I suppose it's nothing a little training can't fix. S_ he thought with a little shake of her head and a deep breath before tuning back into Solomon's speech.

"-ssuming you get to be buried."

SMACK.

That was what it felt like: a hard slap to the face. The little cheer she had tried to regain left as quickly as a deflating balloon. The last time it was only the pain of knowing that her father was missing and no one knew what happened to him, this time it was being the _only_ one who knows; how he died, why he died and more importantly, where he died. Right then Cammie was no longer in Sublevel one, sitting in a room surrounded by stainless steel and frosted glass. She was on the ground with her aunt Abby next to her, both of them digging, scratching, clawing at the snow hoping to get to see the body of the man they loved and lost.

And then she was back and luckily Cammie hadn't let any tears fall from her eyes. She quickly blinked away the oncoming avalanche of moisture from her eyes and thanked her training for keeping any sign of her distress from showing. As a fifteen-year-old she would have turned beet red and turn into a mess, weeping on the floor, but of course, she wasn't an actual fifteen-year-old; she was a trained operative used to keeping emotion off of her face while enduring even the most brutal of tortures, and for this, she was immensely glad.

The rest of class continued like normal (if you can call the constant stares on her person, 'normal') and when he dismissed the class Cammie was the first to leave, her dumbfounded classmates still staring at their synchronised watches wondering if their new teacher was really dismissing them so soon.

As she went she didn't see the almost guilty look pass across Solomon's eyes before he made a note to try and smooth things over with the girl he could love like his own daughter.

 **A/N: So not as kick ass as some of you would like but if I didn't do it then cam would get too cocky and I would be forced to humiliate her so that she can learn her lesson. I really don't want to do that so you get this instead. But this now means that Cam can have some real fun now! I'm trying to put as much fun into this as possible before it has to get a tad more serious. After a few chapters you'll see the results of some of the sneaking around Cammie will be doing and the rest will come with time!**

 **Leave a review with your thought but more importantly, SUGGESTIONS! I want this to be a collaborative effort so please get in touch!**

 **~ Leona Faith**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: lots of fun things in this chapter, we meet Macey again and Cam starts stealing a few things; but for what? Review and let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is also really good so if you have any please R &R**

 **Chapter 4**

As Cammie stormed out of the CoveOps classroom she forced air down her lungs and pushed the last lingering memories into a box at the back of her mind. _"I want you to live Cam"_ , she heard his voice whisper in her mind, _I will Dad,_ she thought before taking a last calming breath then chastising herself for getting of task.

 _Come on Cammie, you have a job to do, focus!_ She thought while surreptitiously checking the hall for watching eyes. She found none so proceeded with her plan.

The Sublevels in the Gallagher Academy were split into three different sections for the three years you took the course. The third held the most sensitive material which only seniors could access and the first held the least which the sophomores could access; but that doesn't mean that there wasn't anything there that wasn't useful.

Cammie slips into one of the storage rooms and finds shelves full of everyday spy gadgets. She pilfers a couple pairs of comms, camera necklaces and earrings as well as some speciality watches, pen drives, napotine patches and a few tool boxes. Quickly stowing her goods in a false compartment in her bag, the butterflies in her stomach giving a quick flutter while thinking of all the nefarious deeds she could perform with these goods, she made her way back outside and waited for Bex beside the full length mirror which marks an entrance to the Subs.

Luck was on her side as just as she had settled herself against the wall the first of her classmates exited the Subs. It didn't take long for Bex to catch up to her but soon after the world was bathed in the red lights which announced the imminent arrival of one Macey McHenry: spy legacy but right now, total bitch.

* * *

Macey McHenry was a lot of things: the daughter of a prominent senator, the heiress to an extremely successful if problematic cosmetics company, a burden to her parents. But what she was at that moment in time, was very unhappy. And when Macey McHenry is unhappy, she makes sure that somebody knows even if her _parents_ couldn't care less.

Sitting in the back seat of a flashy black limo wearing the whole goth get-up and looking every bit of the spoiled, rebellious child she was acting like, Macey thought about the latest snobby school her parents would buy her way into. _God knows my GPA wouldn't actually get me entry to any of these schools._ If her parents cared enough to look her way they would see their only child silently fuming but in reality she was weary and just tired, plain and simple.

You see, Macey McHenry only pretends to be a bitch. Truthfully, she just wants to be her own person who is loved by her parents for who she is and not what she looks like.

 _But it's not going to happen Macey so stop it. It doesn't do well to live in a delusion of your own creation. They will never love you._ The broken girl thought as she prepared her routine for the afternoon, even as every cell in her body protested and begged her to give it up: _Disrespect, Disinterest, Damage. The sure fire way of getting kicked out a school before you're even admitted, created by the one and only Macey McHenry_.

As the car pulled up in front of the white stone steps of one of the last prestigious schools Macey hadn't attended, she cleared her head of any other thought and  
focused. If she had her way, they wouldn't be here for more than an hour at the latest.

* * *

She was bored. There was a vaguely hot woman talking about the history of the school and two cheerful students who were going to show her their stuck up school. They had told her their names but she honestly couldn't remember; she just couldn't commit to the school – any school really – especially when the uniforms were so…ackhh!

When she is told that she will be going on a tour with Tweedledee and Tweedledum she leaps at the chance, not because she's enthusiastic but because she can get a start on her three step plan.

Out in the hall she leans against some random glass case and lights up a cigarette from her pocket. She watches with an amused smirk at the peeved glare from one of the girls but before she can return with some of her signature snark she finds herself grasping thin air.

 _What?!_

"Unless you want your face to run I would suggest you put that out. We have really sensitive fire alarms here." The average one said before walking off down the corridor, only stopping long enough to throw a parting comment over her shoulder.

"This way McHenry, there's something here you're going to want to see. It's pretty spectacular if I do say so myself."

Suffice to say, Macey was stunned and for one split second she thought that maybe she had underestimated the plain looking teen.

Putting on her best 'If-this-isn't-Worthwhile-I'm-going-to-kill-you' face, she kicked off the wall and followed the brunette.

She walks past the hall leading to the Headmistress' office and enters the spacious entrance hall. As she walked past a set of large double doors a waft of heavenly smelling food reached her nostrils and she felt an overwhelming need to give up her superior act and go shovel the aromatic food down her throat.

 _Snap out of it McHenry, you can't let them win_ , she thought, shaking her head out of her traitorous thoughts.

"We're here," the confident girl said, "why don't you take a seat Macey, we only need to wait for the sun and you'll see what I mean."

Unsure of how to get out of her current situation, the senator's daughter decided to play along and flopped down on a plush red window seat overlooking the front lawn. Even in her sullen state, Macey had to admit that the view was stunning.

"It's beautiful, isn't it" the brunette said, vocalising Macey's thoughts without even noticing it.

Macey herself shoots her a dirty look, almost as if reminding her that she was in a bad mood and that everyone else should be too. Digging into her pocket she flipped out her phone and made to call one of her friends. _If you can call him that; he's just another leach hanging off of every flirtatious smile I send his way. Better than these two anyway._ She tapped her booted foot as she waited fro the call to connect.

"It's not going to work McHenry. There are jammers around school so no cell service"

Both Bex and Macey made undignified scoffs though for two completely different reasons. Macey was truelly appaled at the lack of cell service: how was she going to be able to slack of in class if she couldn't be distrated by someone?

Bex however was a mixture of confused, shocked and annoyed. The goal was to deter Macey from coming as well as keeping their secrets, _what the hell is Cam doing!_

Undeterred, the teen in question changed the subject and continued.

"Your mom's a bitch and your dad's a jack-ass"

Eyes as wide as saucers, Macey turns to the girl sitting across from her and sees the matter-of-fact expression on her face. Then she laughs. Not the pretty laugh she puts on for cute boys and not the fake one she puts on at 'important' events. No, this was a full, throaty laugh which echoed down the main staircase and through the halls.

"Don't let them hear you say that; they could get you kicked out of this school you seem to like so much" Macey choked out while trying to regain some of her breath. She may not want to be here but she hated her parents more so in her book, this girl was alright.

"My mom's the Headmistress, I'd like to see them try."

Looking at the girl Macey couldn't help but feel a tiny amount of respect for her; being able to stand up to her parents wasn't an easy feat, and she should know, she's been doing it for as long as she has been able to define 'individuality'.

Opting to stay silent and see where the brave girl would take the conversation next, Macey fixed her eyes on the girl and the sparkle in her eyes almost begging her to continue.

* * *

Cammie looked into Macey's eyes and caught a familiar twinkle within her iris' and knew that she was on the right track. _I can't wait to get my Macey back_ , she thought desperately, missing the outgoing girl they had all come to love.

"It must really suck to be you. I can't imagine what it would be like if all my mom cared about was scamming people out of their money and all my dad cared about was getting his next vote. I certainly don't envy you." Cammie said with baited breath, wondering whether Macey would kick and scream or freeze. _I wish I could do this some other way_ , she thought, but before she had even finished thinking Cammie knew that the only way to get into Macey's head and make her realise that she can be great was by brute force

The teen in question however just clenched her jaw and stayed silent, keeping the now completely fake smile firmly fixed upon her gorgeous face.

Steeling herself, Cammie continued. "Don't you hate being known only for your last name?" she asked with genuine curiosity. Even in her past life Macey hated really talking about her parents; only Preston was given the privilege of knowing about that.

Macey, however, did not take kindly to the queries and bit out her reply. "What's it to you, bitch?"

Cammie hears Bex's sharp intake of breath but ignored it in favour of her conversation. Keeping a perfectly straight face, she began to speak once more.

"Aren't you tired of pretending to be someone you're not? All just to get back at your parents who you know couldn't even care if they tried."

"I am not fake!"

Macey's amused twinkle had turned into an angry spark and it was clear for anyone to see. As she opened her mouth to speak once more Cammie interrupted her. _If I don't get my point across soon Macey is going to get pissed,_ Cammie thought, suddenly regretting ever having this conversation in the first place. _You just had to go and tempt fate didn't you Cameron._

"I never said you were; you're far from it actually. You're going to be accepted into the school whether you like it or not you know." Cammie said, trying to turn the conversation around even just a little.

After Macey's current train of thought was stopped in its tracks, Cammie would swear that she looked almost confused; as if she had never come across someone like Cammie before. _She probably hasn't, it's not every day some prep school girl gets you better than your own family._

"We've already established that your parents don't give a shit about you so they won't have any qualms about just leaving you here, so that only leaves one question."

"Oh yeah, and what's that smart ass"

"Are you going to stay? I won't lie to you Macey. Whatever question you have I will answer as truthfully as I am able to so know that what I am about to tell you could very well get me in trouble with my friend over here" Cammie declared, nudging her head in Bex's direction.

As Macey turned to look at the highly confused and desperately panicked teen (an expression that Macey will later described as constipated), she couldn't help but think that this girl, whoever she was, was willing to do what most everyone else would never dream of; telling her the truth. In a world of fame, money and power that was hard to come by and so she took the bait and gave a little nod for the brunette to continue. It was time to find out what was so special about this girl and this place and this time Macey would listen, she owed that much at least to the teen in front of her, especially since she felt compelled to listen, like this was going to be a turning point in her incredibly miserable life. For just one moment, Macey let go and listened.

"I don't want to be your enemy Macey. I want to really get to know you because I think you're a girl worth getting to know. I know that there is someone inside of you who can fit in here; who can belong here. But you need to give us a chance. My mom probably doesn't want you to know this Macey because she doesn't want you to get the wrong impression. Yes, the reason we are giving you this opportunity is because of your name, but there is a reason why we were all accepted in the first place. Me because my mom is the headmistress, Bex because her parents know my mom, our other friend Liz because she is the second coming of Einstein. That is NOT, however, why we stay here. We can leave any time we want Macey but we don't. We stay because this is the only place where we can feel worthwhile. It's the only place where we can make something of ourselves. I would never leave this place because it is my home and these are my sisters. My whole family was broken when my mom and I came here but it helped us heal. Please Macey, you can do something with your life here but only if you give us a chance. In return we will always be a family to you, even when your own isn't quite up to standard. A Gallagher Girl never leaves one of her own behind; just give us a chance." Cammie finished, practically pleading with the girl in front of her to listen to her carefully.

As she was speaking the sun had stopped hiding behind the clouds and now, shining brightly through the stained-glass windows, a kaleidoscope of colours could be seen painted across the floor and walls. It was breath-taking and suddenly Macey found that she was on the edge of a cliff. She was teetering back and forth; behind her was an endless expanse of rocky terrain, pain and misery. In front of her was a free fall which could liberate her or kill her. It was a risk, a gamble, the unknown. It scared her, but what did she have to lose.

* * *

As Macey sat in the back of the same black limo as before, she rested her head on the rest and let herself deflate. The day had not gone the way she had wanted but maybe, sometimes, occasionally, what she wants does not equal what she needs.

 **A/N: I am so sorry for not updating last week; I recently started school again after the half term and I got busy with art coursework and I realised I had to edit this chapter one more time before I could publish it. I won't lie, chapters will not be particularly fast now. I will be aiming for once every fortnight but I am in my GCSE year so more often than not I will be spending my time revising. But I will try! I have a few more chapters already prewritten so it shouldn't be too bad. Fingers-crossed!**

 **IN REPLY TO LINA WALOWITZ: As Cammie will no longer try and persue Josh she will try and make freinds with and bond with Macey some other way. It will be one of her goals and won't actually be all that hard as most of the groundwork for their friendship is done in this chapter. However, the real challenge will be for Liz and Bex to become friends with Macey and, when she's not doing _other_ things, Cam will be focusing on this. There will be fluff and drama, a few pranks but the group WILL become friends by the end of the semester, don't worry! A lot of this semester will be spent preparing for the next one and extablishing characters so I will be (trying to) make this all as realistic as possible: there will be no unexplained shifts in character.**

 **Thank you to everyone else who reviewed telling me they loved the story so far! Thank you as well to the guest who answered my questions, it was very nice of you and I will take your views into consideration!  
**

 **Next time we will see Cammie's first Sunday night dinner with her mum and hilarious banter ensues! After that though is the first cove ops mission; I am soooo excited to both write it and see what your reactions will be to the schemeing!**

 **~Leona Faith**


	5. Chapter 5 - Part 1

**A/N: The first Sunday night dinner! This is just the first half of the chapter that i have already edited. I am so sorry for the wait, but I'm afraid you're gonna have another wait before the next chapter is out after this one too :( - I blame exams; anyone else doing GCSE's this year? Am I the only one who thinks that the English Lit is ridiculous? Anyway, On with the story!  
**

* * *

 **RECAP: Cammie has just finished giving a tour of the school to Macey McHenry but instead of deterring her from coming to the school she sits her down and appeals to her. Macey now knows that the school wants her for who she is (even though she thinks it's because she is a McHenry whereas in reality it's because she is descended from Gilly herself) but seems pensive when she leaves Gallagher. She knows that giving Gallagher a shot is a gamble but what did she have to lose?**

 **Chapter 5 - Part 1**

There are things Cammie doesn't know, and she prides herself in keeping the list as small as possible. But one thing that definitely found itself on that list would be that it is completely possible for a hurricane to enter her dorm room. Or at least that's what it currently looked like. In Cammie's mind only a hurricane could make so much noise and cause her so much terror. Of course this hurricane was called Rebecca Baxter.

"WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT CAMERON! WE WERE TOLD TO DISCOURAGE HER FROM EVER WANTING TO COME HERE AND YOU ALL BUT GO AND TELL HER WE'RE SPIES!"

The spittle that was flying from Bex's mouth was perhaps one of the most disgusting things both Cammie and Liz (who was cowering under her bed) had ever seen but it was a small distraction from the obvious explaining Cammie needed to do.

"Bex I barely said anything about us being spies and you know it. Besides she's going to come here anyway so even if I had told her about us, it would hardly of mattered!" Really, Cammie was getting tired of Bex screaming her head off, repeating all of the same points over and over again.

"Macey McHenry is not Gallagher girl material Cam and how could you say that she would belong here. She only cares about herself, can't you see!"

Unknown to Bex was that she had just crossed a line. In the back of Cammie's mind, she knew that Bex didn't know Macey yet but she didn't care. It was like she said: Gallagher girls don't leave their sisters behind.

"Shut up Bex! Can't you see, she has no family! She might as well be an orphan and it is our job to help our sister not reject her before she even has a chance to fit in! This is not the way a Gallagher girl behaves!"

"SHE isn't a Gallagher girl- "

"She's a direct descendant of Gillian Gallagher herself, of course she's a Gallagher girl!"

And the cat was out of the bag and Cammie honestly thought it was worth it because right then Rebecca Baxter was well and truly stunned. It took much less convincing to be civil after that little fact was revealed and eventually both of Cammie's roommates agreed to give their newest member a chance if she gave them one.

When the maintenance men came to deliver a new bed the girls calmly directed them to the pre-cleared area and settled in for the night. _I wonder if mom was actually expecting us to protest last time and is waiting for us to make an appearance in her office right now_ , Cammie mused before she slowly surrendered herself into Morpheus' sweet embrace.

* * *

Cam was antsy the rest of the week. She had caught her mom throwing her the occasional meaningful look but Cam pretended not to notice and went about her way. She could tell it was frustrating her mother but really it was about time. _Finally, she gets a taste of her own medicine._ , Cammie thought with a smirk.

That Sunday was the first dinner she would have with her mom and she would be damned if she wasn't going to take advantage of the situation. _I wonder why I never did before, I mean, they really were the perfect opportunities to get information._

As Cammie entered her mom's office that Sunday night she made sure to wear one of her dad's old hoodies which was way too big for her but was perfect nonetheless. She found her mom in a similar state of dress and just finishing with the chicken nuggets. Cammie, instead of seating herself, went over to the stereo in the corner and plugged in her music. After a quick shuffle she played the first song she found and let the sound fade into the background. This was a ritual she had adopted after leaving Gallagher when Zach and Joe were part of their family dinners as well. Cammie would be lying if she said that she didn't miss it but it wasn't as if it would never happen; it would just take time.

Rachel was surprised to hear the music and sent her daughter a questioning glance over her shoulder. Cammie just smiled and sat on the sofa, waiting for her mom to join her. Once she did, Cammie helped herself to the food and waited for the questions to start.

"So how's school?" she asked even though the likelihood of her not already knowing was extremely slim.

"Good, I guess. I mean it's nice to be back and CoveOps is fun. Mr. Solomon is a really good teacher. You know, Tina said that you spent most of the summer convincing him to come."

Rachel keeps quiet with only the barest hint of a smile on her lips. Secretly, she loved to wind up her daughter!

"Why did it take you so long to convince him and why did he decide to start this year?" Cammie then asked, seeing the silent treatment she was being given.

"He's a busy guy Cam, he only managed to get leave this past summer." Rachel said, only what Cammie heard was "Here's a flimsy excuse so you don't ask again".

 _Really, so this is how it's going to be? Unbelievable!_

Deciding to try another angle, the chameleon asks her next question

"How do you two know each other?"

Seeing no excuse to lie, her mom replies. "We worked a few cases together back in the day."

"Did he know dad too?" Cammie asked, wondering whether her mom would give a straight answer or not.

Rachel seemed to freeze for a second, appraising her daughter before letting out a resigned sigh and replying in the affirmative. Wanting to coax out as many answers as she could, Cammie continued.

"Were they friends? How well did they know each other?"

Her mom stiffened and warned her away with her eyes. This was not something she was going to get into and Cam got the message loud and clear. Instead she went down a new path, still fishing for answers.

"Why were you and Mr. Solomon talking about me at the start of term feast?"

"What gave you the impression that we were talking about you?" Her mom fired back like the super spy she was.

"When you looked my way you turned your head before your eyes indicating it was a natural response to the conversation topic not a movement which had caught your eye which, if I am correct, is what you had wanted to lead me to believe. Are you going to answer my question now mom, or are you going to continue to avoid it like the plague?"

Rachel was surprised and impressed with her daughter's skill and reasoning and made sure to tell her before remaining silent on the real question. Focusing back on her dinner she watches her child from the corner of her eyes, seeing her pout and frown before her expression cleared up and a smirk started to bloom on her face.

Waiting until her mother took a sip from her glass of water, Cammie then blurted out "Tina says your banging Mr. Solomon".

Watching her mother be caught off guard, do a spit take and subsequently choke a little was by far the most amusing thing Cammie had seen in her life. By the time she noticed that they had a visitor she was on her back, tears streaming down her face and her hands holding her stomach together.

It was when she had regained a little bit of her breath that she decided to address the visitor who her mother, surprisingly, hadn't noticed. Although she was still trying to couch up her lungs so she couldn't be blamed too much.

"Mr. Solomon, what brings you to this part of the school on a Sunday night?" She asked with a jovial tone.

Hearing the name of the man who was at the forefront of her mind, Rachel Morgan whipped her head around and froze, a visible line of blood making its way up her face until she was beet red. And it certainly didn't help that Cammie had seen the entirety of her reaction.

"Oh my God! It's true isn't it mom? I have to go tell Tina" Cammie replied, still awestruck at having seen her mother, for the first time ever, lose her composure so completely. She hadn't taken but two steps in the direction of the door when she felt a very solid, very heavy presence on her back, causing her to tumble to the ground, making an entirely undignified squeak during her descent.

 _I wonder what Joe is thinking right now, I mean it's not every day you see a mother tackle her daughter._

 **A/N: REPLY TO THE GUEST REVIEWER: Thank you so much for your lengthy review! I'm glad you're liking the story so far and continue to like it too. Also, I really appreciate your review; it wasn't rude at all! In reply to the whole 'why would Rachel bring Blackthorne if Cammie never goes after Josh' thing, I only have this to say: just because Cammie isn't interested, doesn't mean Josh isn't. Take this as you will but just know that I ship Zammie till the end of time.**

 **Next chapter: the second half of the Sunday night dinner. There is a chance I could get it up by mid-March so be patient!**

 **Follow, Favourite, Read and Review!**

 **~Leona Faith**


	6. Chapter 5 - Part 2

**A/N: Just popping my head back above water to gift you with this. The second half of the first Sunday night dinner. It didn't turn out exactly like I wanted but hopefully you understood where each of the characters are at right now...hopefully!**

 **DISCLAIMER: Ally Carter owns everything you recognise, not me (unfortunately)**

* * *

 **RECAP:  
She hadn't taken but two steps in the direction of the door when she felt a very solid, very heavy presence on her back, causing her to tumble to the ground, making an entirely undignified squeak during her descent.**

 ** _I wonder what Joe is thinking right now, I mean it's not every day you see a mother tackle her daughter._**

* * *

 **Chapter 5 - Part 2**

Joe Solomon, triple agent, had spent a full week now teaching at the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Woman. When he had originally accepted the position he wasn't entirely sure about what his life would now entail but he knew that he would be in a position to stop history from repeating itself. **  
**

When he had found himself on a plane with the Baxter's and subsequently their daughter, a close friend of Matthew's own daughter, he could not help but be quietly curious. In truth, he was burning with curiosity. _What was she like? Does she look like him? Are they similar at all?_ He wondered, although it was the last question that troubled him. Or maybe it was his desired response which troubled him; on the one hand he wanted the reminder that his oldest friend lived on, he wanted there to be someone else in the world who was as brave and noble as his friend but on the other hand, he didn't want the reminder of the damage he had done. In his heart of hearts, he truly believed Matthew's death was his fault and truly, he did not want to have to look at the consequences and know that a little girl no longer had a father because of him.

Despite all this he applied for the position of Covert Operations teacher nonetheless, and he had tried every way the C.I.A and the circle had taught him of preparing himself but he still could not fathom how he had ended up in this position: his best friend's wife pinning her daughter to the ground in aforementioned wife's office.

"Is this a bad time?" he asked simply although he was completely flabbergasted (but on the inside of course, he does have a reputation to uphold)

"What?! No, No, of course not Joe, me and Cammie were just practicing is all, isn't that right dear?" Rachel asked in a saccharine tone, her face only slightly flushed, a tight smile on her face and a hint of something dangerous in her eyes.

Cammie for her part just nodded but put no real effort into maintaining the lie. She was grinning like the cat who caught the proverbial canary!

"Can I help you Joe?" Rachel asked with as much nonchalance as she could muster while still pinning her daughter to the floor of her office.

Not being able resist, Cammie pipes up from the ground, "I'm sure you can help him". She then promptly proceeded to dissolve into uncharacteristic giggles before Rachel slams a hand over her mouth, only managing to muffle the sound but also make Cammie laugh even harder. At this point, a few tears had even escaped out the corners of Cammie's eyes. It was the first time since coming back that she truly let go and had fun.

Joe, on his part, was coping mighty well for a man who had just stumbled on the most bizarre scene he could have imagined between a mother and her daughter, but that didn't mean that he wasn't completely confused and was actually caught in a rare moment where he had no idea what to do with himself.

"Would you mind terribly if I asked what you were doing?" He queried as politely as he could, his eyes still a fraction too wide to be considered normal.

Rachel and Cammie shared a look before, Cammie bit her mother's hand and replied in her stead while she nursed her injury.

"We were just having one of are weekly dinner's." Suddenly getting an idea, Cammie shoved her mother's body off of her (Rachel was still examining her hand and occasionally shooting displeased glares at her offspring) and slowly straightened herself out before staring Solomon in his eyes and continuing, "Would you like to join us?"

Joe and Rachel both froze from the unexpected request. Before Joe could figure a way to avoid a confrontation, Rachel had already ordered him to stay put while she talked with Cammie.

In all the years Rachel had called Cammie her daughter, she had never known her to be so out spoken. She was the chameleon, she was shy and hid herself, especially to those she didn't know; and she definitely didn't know Joe Solomon. Finding a secluded corner in the restroom, Rachel locked the door and turned to her daughter, a slight crease appearing in her perpetually smooth forehead.

"Cammie, what is going on with you? I'm glad you're happy to be back and are taking your studies seriously but you know that you don't have to change yourself, right? I know you hate it sometimes but there's nothing wrong with being the chameleon" _There's nothing wrong with being a Morgan either,_ she mentally added on at the end.

Cammie let loose a sigh and set an equally worried frown on her own forehead, the pair of them looking almost identical in that one moment of discord.

"Mom, I love being the chameleon but this isn't about that. This is about you and dad and Joe." Cammie stated, readying herself for a conversation she had not thought she would be having for quite some time.

Rachel however was confused, she could not imagine any way how she, Matt and Joe could possibly be affecting Cammie so much, especially since her daughter had only known one of the aforementioned three for little less than a week.

"Mom, I love you, you know that right? And I love Dad too. I love you both so much and I'll never forget him but…that doesn't mean he should be the reason we stop living. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

There were many ways this conversation could go, the safe way would be for Rachel to deny any sort of personal connection with Joe and to reassure Cammie of her love for Matt…and yet she stayed silent, because although she would never dare to even _think_ about replacing Matt (and indeed she never would), she could not deny that that is not what Cammie was saying and that, in all honesty, there was truth to her daughter's words. When Matt had gone missing, the entire makeup of the Morgan's' lives had started changing and now they were living in a limbo, never truly able to move on for fear of disrespecting the memory of a great man, yet not able to fully put him to rest without his body in the painfully empty grave in Nebraska. Not that Rachel would admit it anyway.

"Cam…what's changed with you?" Rachel deflected, her mind still pondering over what had just been said, and not said all at the same time.

"Nothing, just…I don't want to stay still anymore mom, I'm so tired of staying in the same place when all we I have to do is take the first step. I don't want to worry about stepping on your toes and I don't want be so shy! I don't hate who I am or what I am training to become, but I do want some normality mom…I want to move forward and heal!" It burst out of the brunette like a tidal wave, all the frustration she now realized she had had when she was 15 the first time around – of course she never would have said anything about it even if she had known; she was much too young, too confused with her life to really know what she wanted, but now she was back and alongside the knowledge of the future she now possessed, she knew what direction she wanted to take her life in. No longer was she afraid or embarrassed because just like she had told her mother, she didn't want to be so shy – she wanted to move forward. Perhaps it helped that she at least knew what she was moving towards.

Rachel was surprised to say the least but she could not find it within herself to be sad or angry, in fact she was almost proud for in front of her was not a clumsy teenager but a young woman. Deep inside, the headmistress knew that her daughter would grow up to be strong.

"Okay Cam, Okay. But why Joe? Why did you ask him to stay? You hardly know him." Rachel queried, much calmer and accepting than before.

"He knows stuff mom. I don't know him, at all really but he knows about dad. You told me he worked with him and I want to know- "Cammie cut herself off here, taking a deep breath before centering her thoughts once more, the longing for her family having momentarily overloaded her mind, "- I want to know everything." She turned her eyes up to her mother's, the emotion showing in every facet of her face.

"Oh Cam, of course. Let's go back then, but you know you can talk to me any time you want right?" getting a hasty nod in response, Rachel continued "Let's go then, only God knows what he's thinking right now – which reminds me, don't think you're off the hook for a remark like that young lady!" Rachel teased, her arms quickly embracing her child as her heart did as well.

Giggling to herself a little, Cam nodded her agreement and so mother and daughter exited the restroom with bright smiles on their faces, almost glowing in their love.

"Would you like to stay for dinner Joe? We wouldn't mind at all." Rachel asked her old friend with positively beautiful smile stretched across her lips.

Leaning against the closed door, Joe's gaze flickered between the family of two and seemed to settle on an answer, he still had an apology to make after all.

"All right, I think I will, thank you" a small grateful smile swept over his face before he lowered himself onto the settee, taking the plate of food handed to him by Cameron.

Once the Morgan's had settled themselves back into their places, Rachel next to Joe and Cameron opposite them, a strained silence fell over them.

 _This won't do, I suppose I'll have to make the opening gambit then_ Cammie griped internally, carefully swallowing her food before moving to start the conversation but surprisingly it was Joe who stopped her with an apology of all things.

"I want to apologize Miss Morgan, about the comments I made earlier in our lesson. I did not mean to make you so uncomfortable" all of this was said with his cool demeanor in place but even though he did not know Cammie yet, it didn't mean she didn't know him. She recognized not his guilt for saying what he did (he was completely within his own right for saying what he did, it was no lie), but the guilt over what he believed was his part in killing Matthew Morgan was practically killing him inside. It was something they had talked of together many a time in the future and no matter how many times Cammie had tried to tell him she didn't blame him, every now and again he would get it back into his head that he was one responsible.

"No, don't apologize Mr. Solomon. You didn't say anything that wasn't true. If anything you did a good thing. There's no use in us going out into the world unprepared…even if sometimes it is a little hard to bare." Keeping her words soft, the chameleon continued to look at her plate while she spoke, the burden of her knowledge almost crushing her in that one second.

Quickly clearing her throat, Cammie continued before either of the other two spies in the room could recover from her gentle words.

"Mom said you worked with my dad, how well did you know him?"

Blinking once in surprise, Joe soldiered on in the face of the new but not necessarily easier topic of conversation.

"Yes, we both worked together on more than one occasion" and in an effort to ease the conversation into lighter territory, he added "your mother was quite put-out more than once when he chose to spend more of his time with me than her"

With a faux sniff of contempt, Rachel glared at her employee and responded in kind, "I think you need to get your head checked Joe, if you remembered correctly you would know that he only spent time with _you_ when _I_ was on missions."

It was Joe's turn now to scoff in indignation, refusing to believe the slander spread out in front of him so unceremoniously. "You are delusional Rachel, he always loved me best. Remember that time in France?"

And so the night went, Joe and Rachel taking turns to tell stories of their brother in all but blood and husband respectively and Cammie watching eagerly, taking in all the information like a sponge, even though she had heard it all already, she relished in the all too familiar scene from her future with delight dancing in her warm brown eyes.

 **A/N: So there is another chapter done and now I shall crawl back into my room and bury myself under my books :(**  
 **The next chapter is Macey's big arrival! With clashing personalities how will Cammie get Bex to bond with their new roommate?**

 **~Leona Faith**

 **P.S: next chapter will come out sometime in July - I know it's a long wait but I have exams that essentially will decide what my prospects in the future will be. Good luck to any of you who have exams as well!**

R&R 3


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